May – December 2012

The Environmental Protection Agency has granted California a Clean Air Act waiver allowing the state to set new standards to control emissions of various pollutants, including greenhouse gases, for passenger vehicles through 2025. “This decision by the federal government recognizes California’s important role under the Clean Air Act to set the toughest vehicle emissions standards in the nation,” Mary D. Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement Dec. 27. “It also allows other states to adopt California’s package of clean car regulations, helping clean up the air and save consumers nationwide billions of dollars at the pump…” Read More.

The looming fiscal cliff has prompted renewed debate over the idea of a carbon tax – a way of putting a price on the carbon pollution that leads to climate change. Some say a carbon tax would raise funds that would create jobs and boost the American economy while helping to tackling climate change. Others warn it would give government too much control over the energy sector. Here in California, we didn’t wait for the folks in Washington to make up their minds – we’re already implementing a carbon price. Our landmark clean energy and climate law, AB 32, led to a successful first auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits that raised $290 million for the state in November. These funds will go to a variety of investments in energy efficiency, greener infrastructure, clean energy jobs, and other priorities that focus on making life better for all Californians…Read More.

Capitol Weekly
By Dr. Sudip Chattopadhyay, Professor and Chair of Department of Economics at San Francisco State University
and Dr. Michael Hanemann, Wrigley Professor of Sustainability, Economics Department, Arizona State University
December 6, 2012

Recently California’s clean energy and pollution law, AB 32, observed its first auction of pollution permits. Much has been said about the impact of this auction on California’s economy, with competing interests making differing claims. As economists and academics, we believe the auction and AB 32’s carbon market will help California meet its environmental standards affordably — and in a way that will be good for our state’s economy. Economists know that market incentives, like those created under AB 32, drive innovation and attract investment. Further, a carbon market provides financial incentives for large industrial sources to cut emissions, leveling the playing field, and fostering the development of new technologies…Read More.

SACRAMENTO – While international leaders meet in Doha, Qatar, to discuss climate action, most U.S. leaders are focused on the “fiscal cliff” instead of the “climate cliff.” Yet leaders along America’s Pacific coast are already actively reducing emissions, preparing for climate impacts, and transitioning to a clean energy economy.

“California, Oregon, Washington, and their partners in British Columbia, are leading the way toward a cleaner, more prosperous future, and setting the standard for effective collaboration,” says Susan Frank, Director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, a network of more than 1,250 businesses committed to the state’s clean energy economy. “They’ve got their priorities straight. There’s nothing more important we can do for future generations than leave them with a healthy, prosperous world.”

Acting on the Pacific Coast Collaborative’s 2012 West Coast Action Plan on Jobs, signed on March 13, 2012, by the Premier of British Columbia and the Governors of California, Oregon and Washington, policy leaders from the four jurisdictions are gathering in San Francisco this week at the GreenBuild 2012 Conference to accelerate actions and outcomes agreed to by the Action Plan. In association with these meetings, the four PCC leaders (BC Premier Christy Clark, California Governor Jerry Brown, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire) issued the following joint statement: “Confronting climate change requires concerted effort within each jurisdiction and across the region on several, interconnected fronts:

First, we need to move forward together on policies that will drive investment in home-grown renewable energy and energy efficiency projects – jobs we can’t outsource.

Second, we must better account for the environmental impacts associated with using fossil fuels that are detrimental to the health and well-being of our communities – and future generations.

Third, we need to protect our taxpayers’ investment in infrastructure by making sure these investments are resilient and account for climate risk.

And we must also look at how best to consider and then account for the cost of carbon and our costly reliance on carbon-intensive energy sources. California’s cap and trade program , which launches today, and British Columbia’s carbon tax are two examples of tools that help more accurately price energy resources and continue the transition to a 21st century energy infrastructure.

by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

November 9, 2012

In the business world, change always brings out the naysayers and the foot-draggers — especially from entrenched industries resistant to doing things differently. It’s something of an American tradition. Western Union, whose business was built on the telegraph, said in an 1876 memo that “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.” A century later, the founder of a large computer corporation said, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” In 1927, a silent movie studio head scoffed at the idea of talkies, asking, “Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” It’s a similar situation today when it comes to clean energy — although this time, oil interests and their allies are try¬ing to roll back California’s progress and are doubling down on dirty, outdated ways of powering our state. This was especially noticeable a couple of years ago with the failed Proposition 23, when out-of-state forces tried — and failed spectacularly — to get Californians to turn their backs on Assembly Bill 32, our state’s landmark clean energy and climate law. It’s happening again now with a suspect industry-funded study that keeps turning up like a bad penny and is repeatedly getting quoted in the media, despite having been discredited. Robert Sturtz, in his Oct. 26 Business Journal commentary “Fuel standards: Let’s go slow,” cited it once again…” More.

It sounds like a campaign slogan, but AB 32’s cap-and-trade program is moving forward. But not everyone is welcoming change. Tom Bowman, local climate expert and owner of Bowman Design Group, said that as a proponent of AB 32 and a small business owner, he understands the concerns of those regulated under the cap-and-trade program. “This is a really hard time,” Bowman said of both the current economic climate and the struggle to reduce climate change. “That doesn’t mean we should stop . . . moving forward.

There’s that old saying that when the going gets tough, the tough get going…” More.

Mountain View, CA – The oil industry is bankrolling a high-priced media blitz to slow down a key clean energy policy (AB 32) in California, that has been state law for six years, and which is driving investments, growing jobs and improving energy efficiency for all Californians. Oil company “front groups” like Fueling California and Californians Against Higher Taxes, orchestrated by the same lobbyists that organized and lost the Proposition 23 campaign in 2010, are continuing to try to kill AB 32 through reports and advertising bought and paid for by the oil industry. Meanwhile, California businesses and consumers, who support policies that diversify our fuel supplies and provide us with more clean fuel choices, would be burdened with the costs if the oil industry is successful at derailing clean energy policies like AB 32. Don’t believe the hype. Independent studies have uncovered the truth…” More.

“Uncertainty is bad for business. Stop the debate and start the program.”

October 18, 2012

Today, a letter signed by dozens of California’s top business leaders, representing tens of thousands of workers, calls on the state to “get going” to implement its pioneering clean energy law, AB 32. Despite the oil and manufacturing lobby’s failed delay campaign that includes expensive full-page newspaper and Internet ads, radio spots and direct lobbying, California businesses still strongly endorse the state’s transition to a more efficient clean energy economy. The letter addressed to state leaders explains, “AB 32 has been the law of the land for six years. There have been dozens of public hearings and workshops, and tens of thousands of public comments submitted. Uncertainty is bad for business. Stop the debate and start the program…” More.

by Ruben Guerra, Chairman, Latin Business Association and Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

October 7, 2012

Hundreds of thousands of California businesspeople are enthusiastic supporters of Assembly Bill 32, our state’s pioneering climate and clean energy law. They know the carbon market and other elements of the AB 32 framework are good for the economy and for the state as a whole. But you wouldn’t know that from reading The Bee lately, including news stories such as “Who will get carbon money?” Oct. 2; “State’s carbon auction assailed,” Sept. 21; and “Businesses urge changes in cap-and-trade market,” Sept. 20). Those stories seem only to reflect the viewpoints of those who want to maintain the status quo. Our organizations – the Latin Business Association and the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy – are just two of the many business groups that support AB 32 and California’s cap-and-trade program…” More.

As a professional snowboarder lucky enough to ride mountains around the world, I have seen the impacts of climate change first-hand. I’ve seen once-famous slopes now with zero snow, ski resorts that have shut down, and glaciers that are disappearing. In my native state of California, boarders and skiers are bracing for the effects of a warmer world. Scientists are predicting the Sierra snowpack will decline by 25 percent by 2050. We caught a preview this past ski season, when Lake Tahoe and Squaw Valley had to make their own snow well into February. It’s no wonder the California Ski Industry Association is a big supporter of AB 32, the state’s landmark clean energy and climate law. But whether or not you’ve ever strapped on a board or some skis, all Californians should get behind the state’s groundbreaking efforts to save energy and tackle climate change. Because sooner or later, our changing climate will affect all Californians…” More.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed 19 bills Thursday aimed at making it easier to provide renewable energy and conserve power in California. The bills include a measure by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) that directs the state to coordinate implementation of policies advancing energy security with the Department of Defense. Brown also signed SB 1222 by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), which seeks to encourage the installation of rooftop solar energy systems on homes by limiting residential permit fees charged by cities and counties to the cost of providing the permits. He also approved a measure that clarifies that facilities that generate electricity using biomethane delivered from other locations qualify as a renewable energy source under the state’s mandate to increase those sources. AB 2196 is by Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-Eureka)…” More.

by Fabian Nunez, Partner at Mercury Public Affairs and former Speaker of the California State Assembly

September 27, 2012

California is poised to launch a new wave of investment and economic growth. In November, the state will conduct its inaugural auction of emission allowances under California’s Cap-and-Trade program. This market-based program is an important component of the Global Warming Solutions Act, and part of a portfolio of smart strategies that will transition California to a clean energy economy under AB 32. When this historic “price on pollution” kicks in, it will set a strict limit on pollution from California’s largest sources, motivating investors, innovators and entrepreneurs to deliver solutions that will keep us under the limit at the least cost. This innovative strategy is typical of the creativity and entrepreneurship that have always been a key part of how we do business here in California…” More.

Leter to the Editor by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

September 23, 2012

Re “California businesses want changes to cap-and-trade market” (Business, Sept. 20): Old manufacturing and dirty energy industries, represented by their high-paid lobbyists, are doing their best to derail AB 32, the state’s clean energy law. Voters said “no” when they made similar attempts in 2010 with the defeat of Proposition 23. Lawmakers said “no” when they tried to pass a law to get more freebies…” More.

Statement by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

September 20, 2012

Mountain View, CA – September 19, 2012 – Susan Frank, Director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, issued the following statement regarding an ongoing effort by certain industries to avoid the auction component of the state’s new emissions trading program:

“After failed attempts with the Legislature to avoid the auction component of the state’s new emissions trading program, dirty energy industries are now doing an end run around lawmakers and voters by pressuring the California Air Resources Board to alter the upcoming auction scheduled for November. It is well known that the Board cannot legally change the program without proper public notification. But that hasn’t stopped associations of manufacturers and oil refiners from asking state regulators for an extended free ride…” More.

by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

Brightspot Social Blog

September 14, 2012

The Business Alliance is excited to be an inaugural partner of the newly launched Brightspot Social Blog. Here’s an excerpt from our first blogpost: “The California legislative session came to a close at the end of August, and once again we saw attempts to derail the state’s landmark clean energy and climate law, AB 32. These opposition forces see AB 32 as a threat to their outdated, business-as-usual approach to fossil fuels. Fortunately they were unsuccessful in trying to gut the law…” More.

Statement Released by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

September 11, 2012

This statement was issued in response to news that Fueling California – an oil company-funded coalition of petroleum fuel providers and large commercial fuel users – issued a report critical of the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard:

“The timing of this report and its conclusions demonstrate just how far removed from reality and Californians opponents of clean energy policies really are. On today of all days, September 11th, when the nation is starkly reminded of the dangers of our dependence on foreign oil, an oil company-funded coalition issued a report critical of the state’s efforts to diversify our energy resources and curb our use of oil and other dirty fuels through our state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard…” More.

The hype about two recent studies paid for by oil and other polluting interests is as misinformed as the studies themselves. As a small business owner in Orange County, I can speak firsthand to the economic benefits of California’s landmark clean energy law, AB 32. And as a parent, I know that the law will help reduce dangerous air pollution and promote a clean and sustainable energy future for my kids. AB 32 is helping to incentivize investment and creating tens of thousands of jobs in California while reducing our state’s dependence on polluting fuel sources…. More.

The closer you get to a goal, the tougher the going can get. As California prepares to launch America’s latest cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases, opponents are making a goal-line stand. They’re trying to persuade Californians that a carbon market will somehow hurt the state’s recovering economy. As a California investor, I know the opposite is true. The new carbon market is one element in a broad suite of business-friendly clean energy and efficiency policies that California has carefully crafted over decades. These measures might attract continued opposition from in- and out-of-state oil interests, but they are strongly supported by California voters, and with good reason. They are turning the Golden State into a global leader in the fast-growing clean energy sector… More.

Today, nearly 90 percent of all Californians live in areas with unhealthy air. Keeping ourselves and our children safe under these conditions is a real challenge… As a pediatrician who specializes in asthma and allergies and provides Carey’s medical care, I can attest that he is one small but precious reason – among millions – for standing firm on California’s clean energy and clean air law, AB 32. The law amends portions of our state’s health and safety code to reduce air pollution – setting reasonable standards for cars, trucks, oil refineries, power plants and large factories. These standards will go a long way toward curbing the kinds of pollution – including smog and soot – that can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, and other serious, and even deadly health conditions… More.

Sometimes I wonder whether the jobs I create matter to California’s legislators. My design business embraced the goals of AB 32, California’s landmark clean energy and climate law, and we are showing other companies how to save real money while slashing carbon pollution. The concepts we use are simple and universal, and the results suggest that local businesses have nothing to fear from AB 32’s cap and trade program. Unfortunately, in the face of the fossil fuel industry’s dire warnings, such real-world experience seems unwelcome to politicians who have made up their minds…. More.

We commend your leadership in implementing the world’s most comprehensive climate law and strongly support your commitment to auction allowances as part of the crucial launch phase of the cap-and-trade program. The most important aspect of a cap-and-trade system is the actual cap. In theory, it does not matter to the environmental integrity of the program whether allowances are auctioned or given away for free. In reality though, once real-world conditions are introduced, the difference matters… Cancelling or scaling back the auction would simply result in a wealth transfer to covered entities beyond anyone’s expectations and disrupt the current design of the AB 32 cap-and-trade program… More.

Statement by Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

August 23, 2012

“It is unfortunate that the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA) is taking its misinformation campaign, designed to gin up fear and fallacies about California’s groundbreaking policies like AB 32, to San Diego – a vibrant center for clean energy technology development. The report presented today by CMTA, which attacks policies that would reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, has been roundly criticized for its lack of academic credibility and use of a “homemade” economic model. In its study, CMTA, a vocal critic of AB 32 and an organization that has been working to repeal the law for several years, assumes extreme and unrealistic costs related to clean energy standards. The report also almost completely dismisses the economic benefits of cutting our oil dependence, increasing energy efficiency and developing clean, homegrown fuels…” More.

by W. Bowman Cutter IV, Professor, Pomona College Economics Department and Matthew E. Kahn, Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment and the Economics and Public Policy Departments

Sacramento Bee

August 16, 2012

“A quality cost-benefit analysis looks at real costs and real benefits, using recognized economic models that have been peer-reviewed. The recent analysis commissioned by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association to look at Assembly Bill 32, our state’s landmark clean energy law, misfires on both sides of the cost/benefit equation. And its underlying model takes serious departures from accepted economic modeling. For all these reasons, we believe the report misleads Californians about what AB 32 is doing for our state’s economy…” More.

“Recently, an oil industry trade group released a study that ran cherry-picked data through an untested economic model to calculate the costs of California’s clean energy standards. Not surprisingly, it concluded that continued dependence on oil is far better than transitioning to a clean, efficient economy. Contrary to the numerous other economic analyses performed on the state’s landmark law – AB 32 – this paper ignores the economic benefits in order to draw the worst possible conclusions…” More.

by Doug Kot, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council-San Diego and Dennis Murphy, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council California

San Diego Business Journal

August 13, 2012

“Buildings take a lot of energy, both to maintain and to build. California’s landmark clean energy bill AB 32 is providing an opportunity to re-imagine and implement a new energy vision for both San Diego and the state, moving from the expensive, dirty, imported fossil fuels of the past, to high-tech, efficient, cost-effective energy systems of the future. And along the way, our economy and our environment are benefitting…” More.

“New reports released Tuesday by the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Energy Commission provide valuable data on climate change adaptation. One of the studies, funded by the Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program, adds a new and compelling reason to protect California’s working lands…Importantly, the study found that urban land accounts for 70 times more greenhouse gas emissions per acre than cropland. According to the authors, this finding “suggests that land-use policies which protect existing farmland from urban development are likely to help stabilize or reduce future emissions, particularly if they are coupled with ‘smart growth’ policies that prioritize urban infill over expansion…” More.

“Scientists from six of the nation’s leading research institutions, including the University of California Davis, have found that fuels will be cleaner and cheaper in the future if the U.S. adopts a national low-carbon fuel standard. This finding and others will be detailed in a series of studies released Thursday at a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill. The scientists will be joined at the briefing by representatives of the automobile, electric utility and biofuels industries… More.

“For certain industries, this is a boon…California has been attracting more green tech investment by far than any other state in the nation and that’s largely because of the policies put in place here,” said Tom Bowman, president of Signal Hill-based Bowman Design Group, who considers himself a premier interpreter of global change, climate and energy science and green business strategies. “The question really is: does it actually hurt the state overall or is it just an adjustment phase? Most of the businesses I talk to say it has more to do with adjusting than any kind of penalty to the state…” More.

Polluters and their friends have made a blood sport out of knocking California’s economy and regulatory climate. Although study after study from the Public Policy Institute of California about business relocations debunks the myths, the adage “if you repeat something loud enough and often enough, people begin to think it is true” is being repeated thanks to the efforts of the conservative propaganda machine. But facts are stubborn things. And here’s one that hasn’t changed: California employs more Americans and has more businesses than any other state. Despite the national recession and state budget challenges, the Golden State continues to be a fertile place for innovation and business growth… More.

Susan Frank, Director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, issued the following statement regarding today’s California Air Resources Board (CARB) hearing on linking the state’s carbon trading program with Quebec’s program – just one of many strategies to transition California to a clean energy economy. “Smart business owners know that one of the best ways to expand your operations is to align your efforts to those of a smart and capable partner. That is exactly what California is doing as it moves to link its emissions trading program with Quebec’s program…” More.

California’s electricity bills are among the lowest in the nation, and it’s because of our state’s innovative energy policies that we pay less for power. The Register’s editorial “California: also land of pricey energy” [June 8] gets it exactly wrong on both these points. Far from being a competitive disadvantage, California’s leading-edge energy efforts – including Assembly Bill 32 – help California consumers and our state’s economy as a whole. Compared with the rest of the nation, California has the fourth-lowest electricity bill as a fraction of GDP. Our energy efficiency and clean energy policies save consumers money, decrease emissions, spur innovation, and boost economic growth…” More.

Gary Lambert, a Republican state senator in New Hampshire, responds to Dan Morain’s May 27 column “Can market for clean-air credits resist profiteers?” Lambert says, “Don’t fear a market-based approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. We’ve been doing it on the East Coast for years, and it works just fine… An independent study of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) states has found that our region is on track to enjoy $1.6 billion in economic growth because of this program. That includes the creation of more than 16,000 net jobs. The verdict is also in when it comes to our program’s impact on the environment. Average annual CO2 emissions have fallen by 23 percent compared to emission levels before the start of the program in our region…” More.

Double bottom line investment – a concept that businesses can improve fiscal performance while making a positive social impact – is embraced by many of today’s leading companies… California’s clean energy and climate law – AB 32 – will be a catalyst for the region’s companies to add to their bottom lines by providing a cleaner, healthier environment for the workforce, ensuring long-term energy and water security, attracting new public and private investment, stimulating business growth and creating jobs among other benefits…. More.

Polluters and their friends have made a blood sport out of knocking California’s economy and regulatory climate. Yet study after study from the Public Policy Institute of California about business relocations debunks the myths being repeated by the conservative propaganda machine. The truth is that California employs more Americans and has more businesses than any other state, and is fertile ground for innovation. According to the PPIC and other independent studies, the state’s pioneering laws to protect our air and water, not to mention access to skilled labor and a superior quality of life, are what continue to draw and keep businesses here… More.

San Diego is emerging as one of the nation’s leading clean-tech hubs by embracing renewable energy and clean vehicles as drivers of economic growth… The San Diego region’s focus on renewable energy – particularly solar and biofuels – has attracted more than $1 billion in venture capital and other investments, proof that clean energy development and a strong economy go hand in hand… More.

It is discouraging to see our state’s landmark law on climate and clean energy, the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32), under attack again. The investment and innovation unleashed by AB32 is creating jobs and is spurring transformation of our buildings, vehicles, lighting and energy generation systems to run cleaner, smarter and more efficiently… More.

I disagree with a recent column by Assemblyman Jose Solorio criticizing steps our state is taking to bring a mix of new fuels to Californians [“Don’t let CARB pick our cars,” Opinion, May 2]… Mr. Solorio’s criticism of the Clean Fuels Outlet program completely misses the point. The Clean Fuels Outlet rule will ensure that fueling stations for hydrogen and electricity are readily available to California drivers. This policy is giving Californians – and today’s fuel providers – the opportunity to be part of the solution to our oil dependence. America’s over-reliance on oil hobbles our foreign policy… As a veteran, I take this personally… More.

As America’s top agricultural producer, we produce everything from avocados to apples, from pistachios to pomegranates, from wine grapes to milk cows. The San Joaquin Valley is an essential part of this productivity. But because farming is subject to the whims of weather and water, it is rather vulnerable to climate change. However, farming is not only vulnerable to climate change, but it also contributes to it by being responsible for about 6% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions… More.

Starting later this year, California’s cap-and-trade system to fight global warming will generate billions of dollars in revenue, as companies buy and sell permits to produce greenhouse gases. How should the money be used? With the first permit auction scheduled for November, that question still hasn’t been answered by Sacramento – not fully, at least. Now a series of studies, released Wednesday by the Next 10 public policy group, delves into the question’s legal and economic implications, trying to assess which options would most benefit Californians… More.

By Susan Frank, Director, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

Fox and Hounds

May 14, 2012

The California Manufacturers & Technology Association is pulling tactics from the tobacco industry playbook, grasping at straws to spread misinformation about the state’s landmark clean energy law (AB 32) in “California’s Cap-and-Trade Auction Creates Billions in Needless Costs.” Let’s take a look back: CMTA hated AB 32 when it was first developed…They supported Proposition 23 to avoid the standards and kill competition. And they’re still at it, dreaming up worse case scenarios to keep California addicted to the old, dirty, dying fuels of the past. But poll and poll shows broad public support for AB 32 for a reason: it’s an economic engine for California, attracting $3.5 billion in private clean-tech investments… More.

By Susan Frank, Director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

Carbon Market North America

May 11, 2012

California’s clean energy policies have saved billions of dollars over the last three decades, and there’s more where that came from. By leveling the playing field between dirty oil and new sources of energy, California’s landmark clean energy law has attracted $3.5 billion in private clean-tech investments. And we’re not just attracting money; we’re also saving it. In the last three decades Californians saved $56 billion on electricity bills. As director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy and a former chamber of commerce CEO, I’ve seen first-hand how clean, efficient energy helps the bottom line and creates jobs… More.

Blocking progress is easier than creating it. Yet in trying to stop California’s pioneering clean-energy standards, opponents are fighting a battle they cannot win. Ever since the Legislature passed AB 32 in 2006, polls consistently show widespread support throughout California. Just last week, opponents released a survey using biased questions, and still the majority of Californians support the state’s pursuit of clean energy… More.

The demise of small businesses due to AB 32 has been greatly exaggerated. I should know – I founded a small business and clean energy laws like AB 32 are a big part of the reason we are still here. Not because I am a clean tech investor or venture capitalist but because our company, which partners with businesses and communities to convert organic waste to renewable energy, is leading the wave of clean energy job creation that is sweeping across the state… More.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) claimed last week that California’s small businesses are backing away from our state’s landmark clean air laws. The NFIB does not speak for me, the small business I founded over twenty years ago, nor the majority of fellow business owners I know. On the contrary, many of us strongly support AB 32 and a host of other measures that are reducing pollution, making us the nation’s most energy efficient economy, and drawing valuable capital to our state… More.

April 2012

It’s not often that we Northeasterners get to brag about setting a trend that Californians are following. But when it comes to creating a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, we are the nation’s first. And as California works to implement a carbon market of its own, Californians can learn from the Northeast’s experience… More.

California has had remarkable success in extending its national lead in clean technology, using it to help fuel the state’s economic rebound and drive its effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions, even as its population continues to grow. Those are some of the findings of the 2012 California Green Innovation Index, released by the nonpartisan nonprofit group Next 10 and compiled by Collaborative Economics… More.

California last year attracted more venture capital than any other state, pulling in almost five times as much money as No. 2-ranked Massachusetts. A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Assn. said that California received more than half of the country’s $28 billion in 2011 venture capital investments. The report was cited Thursday in a blog posted by Dennis Meyers, the principal economist of the California Department of Finance… More.

Clean Energy Patents hit a record high in 2011, up 450 patents relative to 2010 according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. GE took the yearly Clean Energy Patent Crown from GM in 2011 while also leading the Wind and Solar sectors and making the annual top ten in hybrid/electric vehicles. U.S. patent owners hold more U.S. patents than any other country. Also, solar and wind patents continued their rise to pull away from the lower tier of CEPGI sectors while fuel cells continued to lead… More.

March 2012

The CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is officially launching the latest CA Solar Initiative (CSI) program on March 29. The new program provides $25 million in increased solar water heating incentives for affordable housing in California. The launch of the program could not be more timely, given the recent dissolution of the Community Redevelopment Agency – a major source of funding for affordable housing in California… More.

A green economy is a strong economy. That’s the conclusion of a new report that predicts one million new jobs will be created in the West Coast region by 2020. The report has prompted leaders in California and other western states to launch an action plan to streamline the region’s transition to a clean economy. Susan Frank, director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, calls the plan a great step forward… More.

California’s historic effort to remake global-warming regulations in the United States is at last starting to take off its training wheels. When then-Gov. Arnold Schwarz­en­egger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2006, his purpose was not only to establish the most rigorous regime of greenhouse-gas emissions reductions in the US, but also to prove to a reluctant nation that the “cap and trade” policies rejected by Washington are not an economic catastrophe waiting to happen… More.

California’s small-business owners worry about the economy, regulatory burdens and taxes, but they’re also concerned about the deteriorating quality of public education and crumbling roads and other public works. Those are the findings of an annual survey of 1,067 small-business executives just released by Small Business California, an advocacy group… More.

California, long America’s environmental trendsetter, is about to push the envelope once again. On May 1, the state will hear from some of the nation’s largest insurance companies about the financial risks climate change poses, not only to the companies but also to their customers and investors… More.

California has been ground zero for solar development in the U.S., and we’ve chronicled many mega projects – particularly those with federal funding – that are set to materialize in rural counties and deserts and stretch the length of several football fields. However, solar energy still accounts for only a tiny amount of the state’s renewable energy mix today. But that picture will change dramatically in less than a decade… More.

Meeting a wildly successful and positive greentech investor is kind of like spotting a California Condor in the wild: you know they’re out there, but good luck on ever finding one. However, I recently caught a glimpse of one of these endangered species, and her name is Nancy Pfund, a longtime investor and founder of DBL Investors (stands for Double Bottom Line)… More.

February 2012

Is steering large sums of federal money into America’s clean energy economy worth the risk? The question is now at the forefront of national debate, and the answer often divides along party lines… More.

When it comes to U.S. venture capital funding for the most promising new green technology firms, there’s California and there’s everybody else. California companies raked in $2.8 billion, or 57%, of the $4.9 billion in venture capital offered up in the so-called clean-tech category of funding nationwide last year, according to a recently released analysis from Ernst & Young… More.

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a national business organization promoting U.S. companies as global suppliers of innovative energy technologies and solutions, today announced the addition of three of the nation’s top energy executives to its board of directors… More.

New data, released today in the 2012 Many Shades of Green: California’s Shift to a Cleaner, More Productive Economy, reveals that California’s Core Green Economy showed greater resilience at the height of the recent recession, outperforming the overall economy by retaining a greater percentage of its workforce… More.

January 2012

Every day I get in my car and drive to work, I’m saving money. That’s because last summer I bought an all-electric Nissan Leaf, and my gas station stops are a thing of the past. I figure I’m saving about $3,300 in annual gas and oil change bills compared with the average Ford Expedition driver… More.

Hundreds of organizations and individuals – businesses, consumer advocates, public health organizations, unions, faith groups, and dozens of California cities, counties, and mayors – are speaking out in an ad to be published in tomorrow’s Los Angeles Times supporting the strongest possible California clean car standards. The California Air Resources Board will vote on updates to its innovative Advanced Clean Cars Program on Thursday in Los Angeles…. More.

Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), a coalition of major American businesses, is saluting California’s efforts to accelerate nationwide adoption of innovative clean cars policies through a new ad campaign. These policies will drive job creation, save consumers billions at the pump and cut pollution more than 25 percent by the year 2030… More.

The White House hopes that someday soon everyone will be able to monitor and control their home energy usage, and lower their monthly utility bills, with a few swipes on a smartphone app. At least that’s the vision of the Green Button initiative, a recent White House effort to bring together the nation’s utilities, energy consumers and private industry to develop Internet and mobile phone-style technologies and business models aimed at reducing energy consumption… More.

In a move to create jobs and help preserve California’s leadership in renewable energy, the state and the federal government have expanded a partnership to bring more solar, wind and other clean energy sources on line… More.

Today, a diverse group of business leaders from across the state, representing tens of thousands of California workers – including the state’s largest electricity and natural gas providers and two of the world’s leading carmakers – released a new advertisement supporting California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard requires transportation fuels to be 10 percent lower in “carbon intensity” by 2020 – by replacing more petroleum fuel with clean electricity, natural gas and renewable fuels… More.
See the ad in the Sacramento Bee here.

The Gas Guzzling Age is receding into the past. California can be proud of the prominent role it has played in making that happen. Our state has long been a leader in pushing for cars and trucks to burn less gasoline and produce less pollution. For the past two years, we’ve also become a world leader in encouraging the development of clean fuels… More.

The ongoing effort by the California Chamber of Commerce to reject the state’s burgeoning clean energy economy leaves us wondering who they actually represent. As a former chamber of commerce CEO and a small business executive, we know and appreciate the chamber’s role in advocating for the state’s businesses. But this time, the facts do not support their position… More.

As the climate change conference in Durban enters its final days, it seems clear that as expected, there will be no new treaty to replace the Kyoto Accord that runs out in 2012. The economic crisis, political differences, and conflicting priorities in addressing climate change have been the persistent themes… More.

While the car of the future spurs different visions for different people, in one way, the future of cars is now, and it’s here in California. Our state is leading the nation in electric vehicle (EV) investment and innovation. California captured 69 percent of global EV investment in 2011 and ranks first in the nation in EV patents. The number of jobs in the EV sector, while small, keeps growing despite the economic downturn… More.

November 2011

California since the 1960s has led the nation on emission standards for passenger cars. The big driver is necessity. Despite tremendous progress, California continues to have the nation’s worst air quality. Other states – and the federal government – have tended to follow California’s lead… More.

In the tradition of dog shows, today the California Clean Cars Campaign and the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy surveyed the field of vehicles at the 2011 LA Auto Show to select the “Best of Show” and “Worst of Show.” After a “ruff” round of judging and only a few light nips, the winners and losers have been chosen – based on vehicle emissions, fuel efficiency, and the innovative use of technology… More.

Over the next few weeks, our state will be in the spotlight as a leader in clean-car standards. The California Air Resources Board will unveil new greenhouse gas emissions rules to dovetail with new national fuel-efficiency and tailpipe standards for cars, SUVs, and light trucks. CARB will update the state’s groundbreaking zero-emission vehicle program as well… More.

Your Oct. 26 editorial [“Pollution czars’ plan to choke California business”] relentlessly criticizes the market mechanism known as cap-and-trade, thus discounting the past accomplishments of several Republican presidential administrations that enacted the policy with great success. The implementation of cap-and-trade is a positive development for the hundreds of Orange County clean-tech entrepreneurs who are growing companies and creating jobs… More.

Electric carmaker CODA Automotive Inc. opened its global headquarters in Los Angeles on Thursday, strengthening California’s bid to become the hub of clean-energy business the state hopes will create thousands of new jobs… More.

It is commonly understood that the chances of reaching a climate agreement that includes the United States at this point are rather grim and will ultimately depend on certain developing countries, such as China, adopting binding climate controls. This line of reasoning, while persuasive to many, ignores another important but less understood factor for U.S. participation – the influence state-level initiatives have on shaping national climate policy… More.

The Editorial writers at the WSJ have some tough things to say about California’s AB32 carbon mitigation effort. The regulators at the Air Resources Board are called “elitists” who do not understand the unintended consequences of their well meaning regulations. The WSJ predicts that this regulation will further damage the California economy. This editorial merit some analysis… More.

October 2011

Jerry Brown started talking about solar power in the 1970s, when he was California’s governor for the first time. He was lampooned for it, but the vision gradually became attractive in a state that is naturally sunny and, especially along the coastline, cares about the environment. So in 2006, under a Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California set a goal to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This year Mr Brown, governor once again, signed the last bits of that goal into law. And this month the state’s air-quality regulators unanimously voted to adopt its most controversial but crucial component: a cap-and-trade system… More.

California’s plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions and put a price on carbon is set to take effect on Jan. 1 after the Air Resources Board voted Thursday to make final adjustments in the regulation… More.

California is bucking the national trend. While the rest of the nation does little to combat climate change, California is showing the country — indeed the world — how to craft sophisticated climate policy that will cut greenhouse gas emissions while spurring technological innovation and energy efficiency… More.

California is a leader in the area of clean energy and energy efficiency technology because we are innovators — when it comes to research and development, patents, and policy. Without good, smart policy, would California still innovate? Yes. But our clean energy economy and the jobs it supports would grow at a slower, less transformative pace…More.

On the heels of a California Supreme Court ruling that allows the nation’s first economy-wide market-based emissions trading program to move forward, the California Air Resources Board is expected to review and approve a number of technical items at its October 20-21 hearing in Sacramento in anticipation of the program getting underway on January 1, 2012… More.

The Journalist’s Guide to California’s Carbon Cap and Trade System is available here.

Investors doled out $2.23 billion for 189 green tech venture deals worldwide in the third quarter and counted energy storage, solar and energy efficiency as their top three picks, according to preliminary data from the Cleantech Group on Wednesday… More.

September 2011

As time passes and the economy remains stagnant, the sturm und drang grows ever louder over whether regulations are weighing down small businesses and making them unable to pull the country out its fiscal slump… More.

For many years there was the assertion that smoking posed no danger to our health, but we now know the science community was right. It also took a while to figure out that acid rain really posed problems. Fortunately, our society has implemented policies to address these serious issues. The same is true for climate change. In the end, we will work together to solve it… More.

The Department of Defense — eager to reduce its dependence on oil in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq and keen to become energy-efficient at home — is aggressively investing in clean technology, from advanced biofuels to electric vehicles, solar-powered batteries and blankets for soldiers in the field and bases that generate their own electricity. “From Barracks to Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America’s Armed Forces,” a report released Wednesday by Pew Charitable Trusts, gives an overview of what each branch of the military is doing to reduce the use of fossil fuels and test new clean technologies… More.

The congressional investigation into Solyndra has cast a shadow across the solar energy industry, but two new reports show continuing growth in the sector. A report from the Solar Energy Industries Association finds that grid-connected photovoltaic installation in the U.S. grew 17 percent from the first to second quarter of 2011 and a whopping 69 percent from the second quarter of 2010… More.

We are making truly transformational change in America…In Nevada, we’re building a new type of hybrid power plant that uses both solar and geothermal energy to provide emissions-free electricity to local homes and businesses using only the sun and the earth’s natural heat. And in San Francisco, we’ve started a new type of bank that links depositors and investors with green-energy entrepreneurs who share the common cause of trying to make the world a better place. The clean energy industry is alive and well and growing. Companies big and small, like ours and thousands of others across America, are proof of that… More.

With harvest in full swing, trucks laden with bell peppers, watermelon and onions unloaded at a rapid pace last week at Morada Produce near Linden…Harvest activity is being played out across California right now, but there’s something different about Morada Produce: The company’s energy-intensive packing and cooling activities are costing a fraction of what electricity bills totaled in the past… More.

By the time my little girl turns 21 in 2030, 90 percent of cars could be electric or hybrid, according to a new study by Google. Clean energy innovations, such as electric and hybrid cars, could add $155 billion per year in GDP and 1.1 million jobs to the country by 2030. But some of us have known for a while that clean energy saves money and improves the bottom line. I focus on saving money through clean energy in a place you might least expect it: property values… More.

August 2011

The California Air Resources Board voted to reaffirm its cap-and-trade plan Wednesday, a decision that puts the nation’s first-ever state carbon trading program back on track, for now. The on-again, off-again rules have been years in the making and are meant to complement AB 32, California’s landmark climate change law that mandates a reduction in carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020… More.

In the wake of the financial market meltdown and liquidity crisis of 2008, some opponents of a cap and trade program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions have argued that such a system could lead to the kind of market manipulation that led to the 2008 crash. The UCLA School of Law Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment today released a report, Rules of the Game: Examining Market Manipulation, Gaming and Enforcement in California’s Cap and Trade Program, that considers whether California’s proposed cap and trade program would be vulnerable to such market manipulation… More.

Today, the Latin Business Association, Clean Economy Network, Small Business Majority, California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group – representing thousands of Calif. companies and workers – released this joint statement in support of the California Air Resources Board’s efforts to move forward with the market-based emissions trading component of AB 32, the state’s clean energy law… More.

America suffers from a substance abuse problem. Maintaining our national industries and our jobs requires us to consume millions of tons of fossil fuels each and every day. Unfortunately, our addiction to fossil fuels comes with a high price, perhaps even higher than what we pay at the pump or for our monthly utility bills. Consuming these chemicals also comes with what economists call externality costs — invisible, indirect expenses widely shared by human society… More.

California voters did the right thing last November when they rejected an effort to kill AB 32, our state’s landmark clean energy law. But now there are more legal challenges – from people who agree with the goals of AB 32 but don’t like the details. They are still in court demanding that the state halt implementation of the emissions trading component of the law. As business leaders, we say enough is enough. The reason is simple: prompt and full implementation of AB 32 is key to our state’s economic recovery, and to building a more profitable and more sustainable future for California… More.

The National Football League’s preseason is under way. Especially after this locked-out summer, players, owners and fans are eager for teams to get back on the gridiron and work out the kinks before the full weight of the regular season kicks in. For businesses in California, 2012 will be a preseason, of sorts, for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Just as football’s preseason is designed to allow teams to get up to speed for the regular season, 2012 will give businesses, regulators, and investors a chance to climb the learning curve without penalties… More.

With well-known green neighbor San Diego to the south, Los Angeles might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of the cleantech industry. But business and labor communities are teaming up to make the City of Angels the most productive place in the nation for cleantech … More.

A new video, “Solar Overload” demonstrates just how much power can be produced from a home solar power system. HelioPower has created “Solar Overload, How Many Appliances Does It Take to Spin the Meter Forward?” and features a 4 kilowatt (kW) residential solar power system in Laguna Niguel, California trying to “overload” the solar system… More.

In another sign that solar is moving toward becoming a mainstream source of power, BrightSource Energy said Wednesday that it would offer utilities power plants that continue to generate electricity after the sun sets… More.

July 2011

In a stunning turnaround, most of the American and foreign auto industry has agreed to strict nationwide fuel standards that will double gasoline mileage by 2025. On Friday, President Barack Obama, the state of California and major automakers – with the notable exceptions of Volkswagen and Daimler, which makes Mercedes – announced the accord covering models starting in 2017 and extending through 2025… More.

To restore its economy and bring back prosperity, California must shift from a consumption-based economy to a production economy focused on global trade, says Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom in unveiling what he says is the state’s first business growth plan in more than a decade… More.

A report issued Thursday counted 298 green-job training programs in California, most of them created within the last five years. They train between 12,600 and 15,100 students per year — numbers that are probably too low, because the study’s authors couldn’t get complete enrollment data for most of the programs… More.

A new statewide survey of environment issues conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found more residents favor climate change policy, want to cut greenhouse gas emissions and believe they are already experiencing the effects of global warming… More.

Automakers, union leaders, environmental groups and the governors of California and Michigan joined President Barack Obama at the White House in 2009 to announce our country’s first joint standards to boost gas mileage and cut pollution from new cars and light-duty trucks through 2016… More.

Los Angeles has surpassed the Bay Area as home to more “green” jobs than any other region in the nation and those jobs will more than double in number in the next 30 years, according to a study released today by Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs Network (CCEJ Network)… More.

Today business leaders representing diverse business organizations are applauding the state’s efforts to implement a market-based program to lower pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions as a part of AB 32, California’s historic clean energy law… More.

Labcon North America, the world’s leading manufacturer of Earth Friendly laboratory disposables, announced today the completion of an 800 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar panel system. The array will contribute about 30 percent of Labcon’s energy needs, allowing the company to significantly reduce its carbon footprint… More.

A cap-and-trade system is more likely than a carbon tax system to trigger the adoption of clean energy technologies, concludes a study by Yihsu Chen at the University of California, Merced. The research says that the volatile pricing of a cap-and-trade system could lead to earlier adoption of clean technology by firms looking to hedge against carbon cost risks… More.

June 2011

A new national survey has found that by taking a “green position” on climate, candidates of either party can gain the votes of some citizens while not alienating others. Voters tend to favor candidates who believe that humans have contributed to global warming and that the nation should take action, according to Stanford University’s poll… More.

Fremont resident Heidi Carroll started taking her lunch to work because that was cheaper than going out for a meal. A voracious reader of articles about preserving the environment, she quickly clued in to the benefits of packing a lunch that’s as close as possible to “waste-free.” Now she relies on a combination of reusable fabric sandwich and snack bags and reusable plastic containers to take lunch to her job in records management for a health-care company… More.

At Google, we’re committed to using technology to solve one of the greatest challenges we face as a country: building a clean energy future… But what if we knew the value of innovation in clean energy technologies? How much could new technologies contribute to our economic growth, enhance our energy security or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions? Robust data can help us understand these important questions, and the role innovation in clean energy could play in addressing our future economic, security and climate challenges… More.

Solar Thermal manufacturer and distributor Free Hot Water announces a solar water heating training partnership with Boots on the Roof, a national solar trainer based in Fremont, California. The partnership provides an opportunity for graduates of Boots on the Roof’s 6-day Solar Thermal training boot camps to become Free Hot Water Certified Installers… More.

With terms like “sustainability” and “green industry” being used freely and indiscriminately in public discourse, this panel was a breath of fresh air, bringing the vague and broad reaching dimensions of “Clean Tech” into focus. The panel of experts was convened by the Green Chamber of Commerce this past week in Silicon Valley at the impressive and eclectic TechShop and coordinated by Heather Durham, founder of SVTAGS, a cable television show covering Technology, Art, Green & Sustainability in Silicon Valley… More.

A new, court-ordered analysis of California alternatives for regulating greenhouse gases shows that a carbon cap-and-trade market is still the “correct” choice, the state’s top climate regulator said on Monday… More.

Today, top consumer, health, business, government, faith and environmental leaders are announcing the launch of a campaign led by a broad-based Advisory Committee that aims to tackle dangerous pollution from passenger vehicles in California…The California Clean Cars Campaign is pressing for adoption of the strongest possible emissions standards to clean up California’s passenger cars and light-trucks… More.

Some people might be skeptical if they were told a bunch of CEOs got together and agreed that restrictions on pollution are good for business. After all, environmental regulations and economic success are mutually exclusive, right? Wrong… More.

May 2011

We, the undersigned California CEOs and business leaders, are dedicated to the successful implementation of the state’s landmark law, AB 32. Like you, we believe AB 32 is benefiting our economy and environment and is crucial to attracting additional clean technology investment to the state… More.

Clean Edge’s second annual U.S. Clean Energy Leadership Index, released today, provides the industry’s most comprehensive and objective analysis and ranking of how all 50 states, and the individuals, businesses, and organizations that operate there, compare across the clean-energy spectrum. According to Clean Edge’s assessment and ranking of more than 70 different indicators in technology, policy, and capital, the top 10 states in the nation are California, Oregon, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Vermont… More.

We take great pride at Levi Strauss & Co. in ensuring the dignity, respect, and safe working conditions of not only our employees, but also the workers around the world who make our products. In fact, 20 years ago, we took the labor, health, safety, and environmental standards we used in our own factories and effectively told our vendors, “Here. These are now your standards.” It was a big risk, one that many said would put us out of business. But it was the right thing to do. And guess what? We’re still here… More.

Lafitte Cork & Capsule and Silverado Brewing Company in St. Helena both received a Climate Leader award at the recent CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards ceremony in Sacramento. The event was hosted by the California Air Resources Board and honored 23 small businesses from across the state for their climate-smart actions… More.

California must tighten tailpipe emissions controls not just to clean up some of the dirtiest air in the nation, but to save hundreds of lives each year and billions of dollars devoted to asthma and other disorders stemming from smog and diesel fumes, a public health group will argue in a report to be released today… More.

The California Air Resources Board held its second CoolCalifornia.org Small Business Award ceremony today, honoring 23 small businesses from across the state for their climate-smart actions. The program recognizes California small businesses that dmonstrate leadership and made notable, voluntary achievements toward reducing their climate impact… More.

One of the most ambitious efforts to transform city skylines around the globe is nearly invisible. That’s because the changes, aimed at drastically reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in tall buildings, are happening in places most people never venture — in subterranean boiler rooms, behind radiators, under desks and inside the massive walls of office towers built decades ago… More.

April 2011

New Jersey is the nation’s second largest solar market behind California thanks to the state government’s commitment to increase the amount of electricity derived from renewable energy sources over the next decade. But where are the other leaders in solar energy? Here, courtesy of the Solar Energy Industries Association, is a Top 10 list for cumulative installed solar capacity in the United States as of 2010… More.

Smog and soot levels have dropped significantly in Southern California over the last decade, but the Los Angeles region still has the highest levels of ozone nationwide, violating federal health standards an average of 137 days a year…The rankings, part of the annual “State of the Air” report by the American Lung Assn., are based on federal and state data, which show that more than 90% of Californians live in counties with unhealthful air… More.

Has solar panel startup Solaria finally hit its stride? The company, which took quite awhile to roll out its products and beef up its manufacturing, seems to be heading that way with a new factory and headquarters in Fremont, Calif. Later this morning, the company is scheduled to celebrate the new digs with big-name guests such as California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sierra Club’s executive director Mike Brune… More.

[L.A. officials] have been sinking millions of tax dollars into clean tech projects. One of the biggest is to turn LA, long associated with the sins of a car-clogged city — smog, traffic jams and an over abundance of SUVs — into the EV capital of the country. The city has been aggressive — and successful — in landing multi-million dollar grants to build an EV grid infrastructure. By 2013, LA will have more public charging stations than any other U.S. municipality. The city has also changed regulations to attract electric car drivers and manufacturers… More.
See the press release.

By raising its Renewable Portfolio Standard from 20 percent to 33 percent, the state is spurring development of this vital, emerging sector of the 21st century’s economy that is providing Californians with more jobs each year… More.

China’s leadership in the green technology sector represents “a wake-up call” for California companies but it also provides opportunities, a top state official said Wednesday. In just a few years, China went from being “barely on the map” to the largest manufacturer of solar panels and the largest energy consumer in the world, said Margret Kim, a deputy director at the California Environmental Protection Agency and head of the agency’s China program… More.

Calling the law the most ambitious clean-energy effort in the nation, the governor predicted that it would help jump-start the state’s economy. He said he expects the aggressive shift away from coal and natural gas to create jobs while putting the state on the cutting edge of new technology… More.

March 2011

There are numerous cities across the United States which can be considered “cleantech capitals.” With a large array of renewable resources, a dedication by businesses and homeowners to become more energy efficient, and a large hub for research and development, a lot can be accomplished when it comes to creating new, efficient and sustainable clean technologies… More.

The broad bipartisan coalition of business, health, labor, community and environmental groups that defeated the attempt to overturn California’s clean energy and clean air law in November is reuniting to continue the state’s leadership creating jobs in renewable energy, and fighting climate change… More.

With turmoil and upheaval in the Middle East and with forces in Washington bent on turning back the energy clock, never has there been a more urgent need for California to provide leadership to the world on clean energy policies and technology – especially as it relates to job creation and national security… More.

Marin Sanitary Service (MSS) has joined the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy, with its 1,000-plus members across the state, to support businesses, policies and standards in California that share the Marin recycler’s
commitment to a cleaner, more efficient world… More.

We can have both a clean environment and a strong economy. The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, my company is a perfect example of this. For nearly three decades, Oak Creek Energy has been providing jobs in Kern County in the clean-energy industry. We built one of the state’s very first wind farms in Tehachapi in 1982 — employing local workers and helping to generate clean energy that never runs out… More.

To achieve the state’s energy efficiency goals and provide better career opportunities for Californians, the state should modify its clean energy programs and its extensive but fragmented training and education programs, according to a report led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, released March 17… More.

Three of Central California’s oldest family-owned-and-operated fresh produce grower-shippers are embracing 21st century technology in the form of solar power systems. Live Oak Farms, founded more than 90 years ago, is wrapping up installation of a roof-mounted solar array that is projected to offset 84% of energy costs at its Le Grand-based packing and cold storage operations and headquarters offices… More.

The Top 10 Clean-Tech ranking, announced Wednesday at the Journal’s ECO:nomics Executive Conference in Santa Barbara, Calif., seeks to identify green companies with the greatest potential to succeed in an increasingly competitive sector… More.

February 2011

Solana Beach may become among first in the county to adopt a vision statement that embraces zero waste, zero emissions, and water-wise efforts, all in hopes of creating a more sustainable community… More.

A growing California-based business alliance of traditional businesses, small clean tech companies, business associations, and chambers of commerce topped 1,000 members this week when the Pilipino Chamber of Commerce-Southern California joined its ranks… More.

For the first time since 2008, the price of oil recently increased to more than $100 per barrel amid concerns that protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan could lead to supply disruptions from the oil-rich Middle East… More.

A diverse group of leaders, including President Reagan’s Secretary of State, released a report today that said California would benefit if it took a leadership role in reducing its dependence on oil. Recent developments in the Middle East support the need for the report’s recommendations… More.

February 16, 2011
Oil prices are spiking yet again, due in large part to the political unrest in the Middle East. We’ve seen this before, and we will see it again. Oil price volatility will take a toll on California until we diversify energy supplies and reduce oil demand. The time has come for us to end our addiction to imported oil… More.

Because Republicans in Congress have steadfastly stymied attempts to get the federal government to act against global warming and climate change, critics of California’s new carbon trading rules usually get little contradiction when they insist those regulations will see this state going it alone and putting itself at an economic disadvantage. But they’re wrong, at least in large part… More.

Auto dealers from across the country are in San Francisco for the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Expo to discuss our industry and where it is headed. We share the association’s mission to champion policies that benefit its members and the auto industry. However, we disagree with its position that California’s landmark greenhouse gas standards for new cars and trucks will harm its members… More.

I represent an alliance of nearly 1,000 small, mainstream companies in California, who employ tens of thousands of people around the state, and who are committed to pursuing clean energy policies that help grow the economy and create jobs… More.

While Joe Santana does not presume to understand all of the latest climate science, he has his own opinions about global warming. But as head of operations at Mi Rancho, a family-owned tortilla producer in San Leandro, Calif., he understands the importance of saving money. After attending a series of workshops on sustainable business practices, Mr. Santana recently put into action a number of energy-efficiency and waste-reduction measures that he estimates will save Mi Rancho about $100,000 a year and pay for themselves well within the first year… More.

January 2011

When electric vehicles got all the buzz at the L.A. Auto Show, that was no surprise, since the biggest California auto show has long been known as the “green” auto show. However, when electric vehicles replaced muscle cars as the central theme of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, that is news… More.

New data released today in Next 10’s second “Many Shades of Green” report shows that green jobs continue to grow at a healthy clip, even in the wake of the economic crisis. From January 2008 to 2009, the most recent observable year, jobs in the green sector grew more than three times faster (three percent) than total employment in California (one percent)… More.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, joined by environmental leaders and representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), announced today the achievement of a major milestone — providing 20% of the City’s power from renewable energy sources in 2010… More.

Deco Lighting was chosen by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the only lighting company to present the latest innovative green lighting solutions at the ground-breaking Governors Global Climate Summit 3. Held at the University of California at Davis, this annual international event brings world leaders, climate and energy experts, and government officials from the U.S. and many countries together to promote the use of more energy efficient, environmentally-friendly products and practices to reduce global warming… More.

San Diego’s clean technology leaders say the sector will continue to be a bright spot for the local economy in 2011 as companies work to develop products and services and add jobs to area payrolls… More.

Next 10 has identified some interesting trends in California that have helped to protect our economy from even worse impacts than we have already experienced during the current downturn. These trends also give me reason to believe that our recovery, although hard-earned, will be robust… More.

In the decade now beginning, we have the chance to revolutionize California’s energy system and revitalize the state’s economy. We can tap the state’s abundant renewable energy resources, dramatically reduce our dependence on energy imports and create thousands of new jobs… More.

Washington failed miserably to take action on climate change this year. The nation’s best hope is California, which made a historic leap forward last week when its Air Resources Board approved a broad-based cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases… More.

More than 125 small/mainstream businesses, cleantech companies and business associations – representing tens of thousands of employees around the state – issued a letter today urging the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt a proposed emissions trading program (also known as cap and trade) that will reduce carbon, grow the economy, and create jobs, with the goal of creating a better future for all Californians. The ARB Board will hold a hearing on the program tomorrow in Sacramento… More.

Should California fail to produce clean-tech companies that aggressively compete in domestic and global markets, other nations that are adopting policies and providing financial support for the clean-tech sector will fill the void, costing California jobs and economic growth, according to a Bay Area Council Economic Institute report released Tuesday… More.

More than one month after voters soundly defeated a ballot measure that would have suspended California’s efforts to address climate change indefinitely, new research shows that state’s proposed emissions trading or cap-and-trade program will create minimal economic impact, and California voters are solidly behind (64 percent) implementing this new program… More.

As the end of the year approaches, everyone seems to be making their lists. And, today, comes another one — U.S. states ranked for “clean energy leadership.” Not surprisingly, California took the No. 1 spot, followed by Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington and Colorado. The bottom half of the Top 10 are New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Minnesota and New Jersey… More.

San Diego clean-tech luster shone a little brighter when the city was chosen as the site of the U.S. launch of the Global Cleantech Cluster Association, a partnership consisting of more than 20 of the world’s leading clean-tech clusters… More.

I am the lead author on a recent letter in Science, the nation’s most widely read scientific journal. As a group of experts in climate science, economics, the social sciences, ethics, public health and communications, we call for a strictly non-partisan effort to provide everyone…with unbiased, easy-to-understand information about what is happening to the climate system, and what it means for our health, security and prosperity… More.

California voters turned out Nov. 2 to tell our new leaders they overwhelmingly support clean energy policies. These policies create an atmosphere in California that encourages small business growth and improves our economy… More.

Electric vehicles (EVs) got all the buzz at the L.A. Auto Show — and rightly so…But, the real news and the important policy lesson to be learned from the L.A. Auto Show is in the scope of activity and competition in the electric vehicle product space. Electric vehicles were such a big draw at this Auto Show because California’s clean car standards played a key role in making them possible… More.

Looking to the future, we have to pursue new ideas to save money, clear the air and improve our quality of life. Fortunately, there are many options that more and more people are discovering every day to do just that… More.

Automotive emissions standards in California have resulted in cars that are 99% cleaner than they were 50 years ago, according to a new report. Vehicle-related air pollution in the state is down 85% since 1975… More.

Unlocking economic prosperity in a low-carbon world was a key theme Monday at a climate-change summit headlined by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is among regional government leaders seeking to join private investors with green technology projects… More.

While other industries shrink and lose jobs, clean energy grows. In looking at the data, it is clear that in all renewable energy technologies but one, in 2011 there will be significantly more jobs than there are now. The simple fact is that clean energy is indeed growing and creating jobs, but with U.S. unemployment figures so large, it’s just been hard to notice… More.

The California Energy Commission has approved eight grants that leverage more than $9.6 million in state funding…The projects will reduce petroleum use, cut pollution, and provide jobs by advancing the manufacture of electric vehicles and vehicle batteries, adding vehicle charging stations, and encouraging the use of biofuels… More.

California’s clean energy law (AB 32) will spur energy efficiency investments and new innovations, providing opportunities to a wide range of small businesses to boost their bottom lines and grow their businesses, according to a report released today by Small Business Majority… More.

A study just issued by the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy and The Brattle Group shows that California’s greenhouse gas emissions law (AB32) will have almost no economic impact on small businesses. This is an update of a study they released at the end of 2009… More.

California stands on the forefront of green technology and has gained an economic edge by cutting carbon usage, according to a report to be released today. “California is unique as a leader in green innovation for the United States and the world,” said F. Noel Perry, a businessman who founded Next 10, a nonpartisan public policy group that produced the report in conjunction with research firm Collaborative Economics… More.

Would enlisting millions of small companies in a national response to climate change be worth the effort? Their prominence in political rhetoric suggests that it might. Small business owners are attractive political icons — entrepreneurs personify American ideals of free enterprise, innovation and self-reliance… More.

California’s landmark clean energy law (AB 32) will have virtually unnoticeable impacts on small business, according to a new study by The Brattle Group. The study updates an analysis done in December 2009 to calculate the effects of AB 32 on a Los Angeles restaurant, which also concluded the economic impacts could be measured in pennies… More.

September 2010

Work-hungry contractors and the unemployed who crowded into the 2010 Green Job Summit in San Bernardino this week hoped that a new rebate program aimed at making existing homes more energy efficient will jump start the region’s moribund construction industry… More.

Recent public opinion research by The San Diego Foundation, a local nonprofit organization…indicates strong support for regional leaders to plan for and address the impacts of climate change on our quality of life… More.

Leaders from the southland’s three largest clean tech associations today announced the creation of the Southern California Clean Tech Alliance…[They] will work together on joint events, grant opportunities and advocacy all to help bring clean tech projects to southern California, to create jobs and stimulate the economy in the fastest growing industry in the state… More.

A poll released Wednesday by The San Diego Foundation suggests the region is progressive when it comes to climate change…High levels of support for taking a leadership role to address global warming cut across demographic groups and political parties, according to the foundation… More.

Climate change is here and there’s more to come. Thousands of lives have been lost, and millions of people have been displaced from recent disasters. But the economic tolls are also hurting businesses… More.

Now more than ever, California is prepared to transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a clean energy future. My company, Blue Oak Energy of Davis, is just one of the clean energy innovators in our state that is growing an important and profitable market while also growing new jobs… More.

Venture capital investment in clean-tech companies for the second quarter hit $1.5 billion — a 63.8% increase from the same quarter in 2009 and the highest amount since the third quarter of 2008, according to Ernst & Young… More.

July 2010

Some in California worry that by regulating carbon emissions we’ll be putting our economy on the back burner…From 1995 to 2008, clean, safe energy generation jobs in the Inland Empire grew by 85 percent with the highest concentration in solar and wind… More.

Today the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), released the 10th annual survey about “Californians & the Environment,” confirming steady support for the state’s landmark clean energy and climate security law, AB 32… More.

America’s current energy posture undermines our economic security and constitutes a serious and urgent threat to our national security. However, the Department of Defense (DoD) could help turn this potential threat into the next great American opportunity, according to a board of 15 top-ranking admirals and generals… More.

Today the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) released its “Design for the WCI Regional Program” that outlines the guiding principles which states and provinces can use to develop the programs that will increase clean energy production and reduce climate change pollution… More.

More than 100 Ph.D. economists with expertise in California energy and climate issues released an open letter today warning against any delay in the implementation of California clean energy policies… More.

Building retrofits with energy efficient lighting systems are one of the most fundamental, yet simple ways that Americans can cut down on energy use…The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is working to ensure lighting retrofits are performed by qualified, trained electricians through the development of a new certification for journeymen wiremen… More.

Today the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), a climate collaborative of seven U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, released an updated economic analysis that confirms California can immediately implement clean energy and clean air policies, while still growing a strong economy… More.

We are disappointed to learn that the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA), today released an imbalanced report that devalues clean energy and energy efficiency businesses and workers who are helping to fuel the state’s economy… More.

It is unfortunate to see that the California Manufacturers and Technology Association has commissioned another study that attempts to belittle clean energy’s contribution to building a healthy and prosperous California economy… More.

When most entrepreneurs start a business, their top priorities are usually in the area of getting start-up capital, finding talented workers or reaching customers. I took a different route. Five years ago, I started a zero-waste packing and moving product business with football-field quantities of recycled diapers, worn sneakers, leftover bleach bottles, used aluminum cans, bottle tops and used cereal boxes… More.

May 2010

When California Gov. Schwarzenegger cut the ribbon at the opening of the world’s first bio-butanol plant earlier this year, he credited California’s climate action law Assembly Bill 32. That landmark 2006 law, he said, gave Cobalt Technologies the assurance it needed to build the Mountain View, Calif., plant, and the confidence of its investors that the pilot project would grow into a profitable mass production of the advanced biofuel in the near future… More.

[Benicia’s] new Community Sustainability Commission is busy evaluating dozens of possible strategies contained in the “Benicia Climate Action Plan.”…Yet, some 94 percent of the community’s emissions come from industrial and commercial sources, with the majority emitting from a single one: the Valero Benicia Refinery, which is owned by the Valero Energy Corp… More.

Last week’s announcement that automaker Tesla Motors plans to put more than 1,000 California workers back on the assembly lines at the NUMMI plant is yet another indicator that the clean tech industry will be a driving force in California’s economic recovery…. More.

More than 6,000 large and small businesses across the United States are calling on Congress to enact clean energy and climate legislation, according to a new tally compiled by American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE)…. More.

Today’s announcement at the White House is more evidence that Californians can have a strong economy and a clean environment at the same time by pursuing policies that promote energy efficiency, encourage the development of the clean tech sector of our economy, and reduce pollution… More.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has jumped into the region’s effort to green its economy. During an elaborate ceremony Tuesday at the California Museum, the mayor announced that he was launching a “green initiative” focused on making the city and region a national hub for green tech jobs and research… More.

While [the Gulf Coast] accident is wreaking havoc on the economy and environment of Louisiana, the oil companies are aiming to dismantle California’s roadmap to a clean energy future. Bankrolled by Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro, the “Dirty Energy Proposition” slated for the November ballot would suspend Assembly Bill 32, California’s landmark law designed to promote renewable energy and reduce air pollution [“Shelving of climate law closer,” Column, May 11]… More.

There’s an unsettling, ongoing effort to dismantle California’s roadmap to a clean energy future – one that will create uncertainty for California businesses. Since AB 32 was passed four years ago, California businesses have been busily planning and participating in the implementation process by the Air Resources Board… More.

California’s business leaders are divided over a ballot initiative that would delay implementation of AB32, the landmark legislation to combat global warming, in part by raising the cost of carbon-based fuel… More.

Turlock Irrigation District recently announced a partnership with Sunnyvale-based EnerVault on a groundbreaking solar energy system in the community that will, if approved by the California Energy Commission, allow producers to store non-peak energy for use during peak hours.
EnerVault is one of many companies in our state that are prospering because California is on the cutting edge of environmental policy… More.

California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) is due to take effect early next year. The closer we are to implementing this historic legislation to curb emissions, the greater the intensity of the surrounding editorial commentary. Critics claim AB 32 is inflexible and would seriously harm California’s economy. The reality is quite different… More.

Two Southern California electric-car manufacturers helped improve clean-tech investment in the first quarter of 2010 compared with the same period the year before, according to analysis from Ernst & Young released Thursday… More.

James Kellogg’s recent piece “True Impact on Working People of AB 32 is No Mere Numbers Game” seeks answers about the impact recent environmental legislation will have on jobs in California but unfortunately leaps to doomsday conclusions that good paying jobs in the trades will vanish from our state as we move to a cleaner, more energy independent economy. Nothing could be further from the truth… More.

Sen. Bob Dutton’s March 21 op-ed piece on the Perspectives page, “A climate-change solution California cannot afford,” would only make sense if we were not facing a world wide catastrophe due to the coming effects of climate change. Our nation and our state are already feeling severe effects and it is only going to get worse… More.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as AB 32, will cripple businesses, cost jobs and undermine the state’s economic recovery. But rolling back AB 32 would be a prescription for failure… More.

When the governor of Ohio called last month, David Hochschild wasn’t surprised. A vice president of the Fremont company Solaria, he’s used to hearing from officials in other states, usually trying to lure Solaria’s growing solar panel business across their borders… More.

April 2010

Metropolitan Los Angeles, extending to Riverside and Long Beach, remains the smoggiest city in the United States, with an average of more than 140 days a year of dangerous ozone levels, the American Lung Assn. reported Wednesday in its annual assessment… More.

As Californians celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth Day last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Silicon Valley, touring clean technology companies and extolling the environmental revolution as an economic engine that could help the state shake off the lingering effects of the Great Recession… More.

It was 1998. The sport utility vehicle was king. That was the year I helped to start a company that would rent electric, hybrid, and natural gas cars to the public. Years before a gallon of gas hit $3, our company, EV Rental Cars, was at 14 airports, serving over 200,000 customers. Policies that supported environmental vehicles in California helped us to establish and grow our company… More.

A green jobs generator
Carol Zabin and David Graham-Squire, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and EducationLos Angeles Times
April 21, 2010

We are the authors of an often-cited study about the economic impact of California’s landmark global warming law, AB 32. The law was passed in 2006 to control the state’s greenhouse gas emissions; now some in Sacramento want to see it shelved. And to bolster their case they are misrepresenting our research — despite the facts and over our objections… More.

Oil companies and conservative activists poured nearly $1 million last week into their campaign to place an initiative on the November ballot that would delay enforcement of California’s global warming law… More.

Margo Thorning of the American Council of Capital Formation (ACCF) claims that the state’s global warming law is unsound (“California’s AB 32 is a losing climate bet,” Opinion, April 14) but when it comes to California’s clean energy policies, her history and affiliation suggest she is more interested in helping big polluters… More.

Achieving the goals of AB 32 will lead to a $76 billion increase in our gross state product and the creation of 403,000 new jobs. This is the revenue and employment that directly benefits and improves the quality of life for California residents… More.

Recent polls show that anywhere from 58 to 66 percent of Californians support AB 32’s implementation. So do a number of Jewish business owners who see a connection between environmental protection and Jewish ideology… More.

If the initiative to halt AB 32 passes, California’s leading environmental law would be suspended permanently by a false promise of saving jobs. By sacking AB 32, an emerging industry of green jobs would be destroyed… More.

Last month Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to San Jose to sign into law SB 71, a green technology sales tax exemption that will provide a great incentive for clean energy manufacturers who come to or remain in California. This bill is a win-win for our state because it will encourage investment and protect the environment… More.

The people of California have always been an inspiration to the rest of the country when it comes to supporting a clean, secure, energy future. We realize that cleaning our air and reducing our dependence on foreign oil is good for the environment, good for our economy, and good for our nation’s security… More.

The National Venture Capital Association implored legislators in the state to move forward with California’s climate change legislation, saying a delay will hurt venture-backed cleantech companies and stifle innovation in the sector… More.

So then why is Logue playing chicken with our future? Why would he ignore one of the great success stories immediately adjacent to his own district? Sierra Brewing recently completed construction on one of the largest private solar arrays in the United States, supporting hundreds of jobs and reducing carbon emissions by several thousand tons per year… More.

While federal climate legislation bogs down in Washington, China is investing $12.6 million every hour in clean energy technology. Why? Because its government recognizes an opportunity when it sees it. Energy is the largest sector in the global economy. Clean energy technology, like the last breakout technology revolution – information technology – is a multibillion-dollar market. China has been slow to join international climate agreements because every minute of delay means they gain a greater edge… More.

If you haven’t been paying attention to the saga of a report authored by Sacramento State’s Dean of the College of Business Administration Sanjay Varshney, you should be. It’s getting interesting. Beyond that, the issue speaks directly to the academic integrity of our university. For an institution of higher education, it really doesn’t get much deeper than that… More.

While the data below doesn’t prove causality, figures tracked by the Cleantech Group show California became the clear dominant U.S. state for cleantech investment in 2006, when AB 32 was signed into law… More.

March 2010

Sen. Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento on Tuesday defended a California law aimed at rolling back greenhouse gas emissions and outlined efforts to create tens of thousands of jobs in the green technology field… Watch.

It’s unfortunate that the March 14 Appeal-Democrat editorial, “‘Green’ could worsen state job climate,” would support the job-killing initiative being funded by two Texas oil companies that would effectively destroy California’s clean energy economy… More.

California is expected to create about 2 million jobs by 2020, regardless of whether the state’s controversial climate change law is implemented. That’s according to one major finding of an eagerly anticipated economic analysis by the state Air Resources Board. Released Wednesday, the updated analysis of the economic impacts of Assembly Bill 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, concludes that AB 32 is likely to have a positive net economic effect… More.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today released the most up-to-date study of the economic effects of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). CARB’s analysis is consistent with numerous peer-reviewed studies concluding that California can expect robust economic growth while implementing AB 32. The California Business Alliance for a Green Economy issued the following statements from members in major state markets… More.

The stakes are huge when it comes to regulating the use of fossil fuels in California. We need serious, credible analyses in order to understand the economic effects of new laws and proposed legislation. Unfortunately, in California, one highly flawed estimate of costs to consumers and small businesses is distorting the debate… More.

This week the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is expected to release the most up-to-date projections of the economic impact of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). Multiple mainstream independent economic analyses project robust economic growth of California’s economy between now and the year 2020. The projected impacts of AB 32, according to these analyses, which include the industry-funded Charles River Associates study, fall within the same range showing minimal net overall impact on the state’s economy… More.

Sacramento State’s business school dean came under attack again Thursday over the validity of his research on two politically charged issues: California’s global warming law and the regulatory burdens imposed on the state’s businesses… More.

Small Business California requests that OSBA remove the Cost of State Regulations on California Small Businesses Study by Varshney and Associates from its website due to the study’s deeply flawed methodologies and useless conclusions… More.

The governor signed AB 32 four years ago. It requires the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. But critics are backing an initiative to suspend that law until the state’s unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent for at least a year. Two Texas oil companies are reportedly funding the initiative. Schwarzenegger called that news “outrageous.”… Listen.

The law’s passage signaled that the clean-energy market will flourish long-term, opening the floodgates for investment in the sector, which nearly tripled, to $3.3 billion, in the two years after the law was signed. In 2009, 40 percent of cleantech venture capital went to California companies. While the overall number of California jobs shrunk 1 percent in 2007-08, the number of green jobs grew 5 percent… More.

AB 32 is an ambitious measure that could significantly reduce greenhouse gases and our dependence on fossil fuels. It also has the potential of launching a major new green energy economy in California. It should be given a fair chance to succeed… More.

So California must stay on the front lines of a clean energy future, just as it was on the vanguard of air pollution laws, coastal protection and efforts to preserve ancient redwoods. There will always be naysayers to a healthy environment, but their hot air can’t stand the test of time… More.

It’s no secret that the recession is posing challenges for Northern California businesses. Unemployment is at near-record highs in Sacramento, Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties, and many employers are closing their doors. Yet our Northern California-based business is growing. Why? Largely because we manufacture products that cater to Americans who believe in a clean-energy future, and because we have become energy-efficient ourselves… More.

For 40 years, California has been a pioneer in environmental protection, developing measures that have later been adopted nationwide — to the enormous benefit of our country’s air, water, land and public health. With Congress paralyzed by partisan infighting even as the greatest environmental threat of our time bears down, that pioneering role is more important than ever… More.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has issued a letter criticizing the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) analysis of AB 32’s impact on job growth. CARB’s assessment, as well as multiple peer-reviewed independent analyses, found that AB 32, the state’s energy security and climate law, would have a net positive impact on jobs in 2020. Several business leaders are speaking out today in support of CARB’s assessment, and against the LAO analysis, citing AB 32’s power to act as an economic driver for jobs and investment… More.

The Dean of Business Administration at Sacramento State has been criticized for his report on Assembly Bill 32, California’s climate change legislation, which critics claim contains faulty methodology and an apparent bias… More.

The Texas refiners are doing California no favors with their money and short-term thinking. This assault on our environment and long-term economic health will need 433,000 signatures to reach the ballot. The signature gatherers you see are taking Texas oil money to usurp California’s interest. Please, don’t sign their petitions… More.

Between 1995 and 2008, California’s “green” businesses increased 45 percent in number and 36 percent in employment, according to NextTen, a nonpartisan think thank. California has more than 3,000 clean-tech businesses that account for 44,000 jobs… More.

As we seek solutions to recharge our economy, create jobs and meet the climate challenges we face, California must move forward with win-win solutions in the same spirit of innovation and ingenuity that brought the world movies, the Internet as we know it, biotech and aerospace, among other industries… More.

Green careers can come from the end of a caulk gun. Here’s how it can be done. Investing in energy efficiency is good business. Lowering the “energy intensity” of business operations increases profits and creates jobs. Japan and Europe have half the level of energy intensity as the U.S. In a competitive world, this matters… More.

Two Texas-based refinery giants have pledged as much as $2 million to fund signature gathering for a ballot initiative to suspend California’s landmark global warming law, according to Sacramento sources. The companies, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., own refineries in California that would be forced under the law to slash emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases… More.

The money behind a campaign to suspend California’s landmark climate law and place the proposed delay before voters in November is coming from a pair of refiners based in San Antonio, Texas, according to several well-placed sources in Sacramento… More.

More and more communities are embracing sustainability and not just because they are trying to save the planet or do the right thing. Communities across the country are improving their financial well-being as a result of reducing their consumption of energy and water. As Mayor Mary Hamman-Roland of Apple Valley, Minn., puts it, “Green keeps the green in your pocket.”… More.

When it comes to achieving sustained economic recovery in California, it seems that some individuals, who presently have the bully pulpit, are asking all the wrong questions—and not surprisingly, coming up with all the wrong answers. They wonder–“What can we do to ‘protect’ California’s economy from AB32 (the state’s landmark energy security and climate law)?”… More.

The face-off to replace Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in November offers a clear choice on the issue, which for many will come down to whether laws on climate change help the state lead in new ‘green’ industries or drive firms out of business or out of state in reaction to higher costs… More.

One month ago, we kicked off our joint “Road to Recovery” series with the Sacramento Bee with a look at how the capital region’s green-tech sector might help pull the economy out of the Great Recession. Our report focused on the story of 40-year-old Jim Ridgley, who was learning how to install a solar electric system. We followed him during his first day at a new job with a solar company after a career in conventional construction. Now, one month later, how’s he doing?… Listen.

Supporters say AB 32 will help slow climate change while creating jobs, improving the health of California residents and creating local energy sources that keep energy money from leaving the state. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists study showed that the cost for small businesses of AB 32, which has not yet been implemented, would be negligible… More.

There’s a move afoot to dismantle AB 32, California’s solution to a clean-energy economy. It comes in the form of a measure proposed for the November ballot that would suspend the law unless the state’s unemployment rate falls to 5.5% a year for four straight quarters — an economic condition that has happened only three times in the past 30 years… More.

Our state’s landmark climate bill — the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) — has put California squarely at the forefront of the fight against global warming by requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This is good for the environment, and, just as importantly, for the innovation economy and job creation. However, U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, and state Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville, have launched a misguided initiative drive that could block the progress and promise of AB32. Their California Jobs Initiative would actually hurt emerging industries, cripple job development and threaten our environment… More.

Yesterday will either be remembered as a funny aberration or the moment the flat earth society changed the course of California and perhaps American history. Yesterday, a coalition of well-heeled industrial interests launched a ballot initiative to suspend California’s landmark energy and climate security law (AB 32). We might laugh and discount them but that would be unwise. They have money and power and given the current economic environment, they can prey on fear and insecurity… More.

When AB 32, California’s landmark global warming law, was being debated in the legislature, a coalition of polluters and their misguided allies opposed the bill. This week these same opponents, who have also fought against clean air and water quality laws, are unveiling an initiative to suspend AB 32, predicting the sky will fall if the law is implemented… More.

I urge all business leaders to take a long-term view of the economic and environmental health of our state by supporting the immediate continued implementation of AB 32. I’m proud to be a Californian, setting the standard for the rest of the country with AB 32 and living among a group of people who care about sustainability. Let’s not let a vocal minority derail the path toward long-term sustainability that we’ve already chosen for our state… More.

January 2010

As an energy efficiency specialist who has spent three decades working in the field of energy, it troubles me that a vocal chorus of critics of clean energy and energy efficiency are now actively working to dismantle California’s historic energy security and climate law, Assembly Bill 32 [“Freeze global warming regulations” Editorial, Dec. 18]… More.

As a network representing more than 210 small businesses, business associations and business leaders across California, our members stand in strong support of continued implementation of AB 32. Contrary to claims made by the AB 32 Implementation Group, to delay or suspend AB 32 now would be the real job killer… More.

So what happens if California delays the implementation of its landmark global warming law, Assembly Bill 32? The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has done the math on Measure 94, a proposed ballot measure, and assessed the fallout. Its verdict? The measure would cripple but not completely dismantle the state’s efforts to slash its greenhouse gas emissions… More.

When it comes to the nation’s efforts to curb global warming, few places are more important than Sacramento; it is here that California’s groundbreaking laws and regulations are written. That, local business leaders say, gives the region a major boost in its effort to become a hub of the developing green economy… More.

An organization representing some of California’s biggest carbon polluters is working to alter the state’s global warming law, while claiming to represent several “green” environmental companies that have since left the coalition after learning of its recent actions. The coalition, calling itself the AB 32 Implementation Group, says it represents a broad section of California interests focused on global warming regulations… More.

December 2009

As the “oh” decade draws to an end, it is hard not to join those dubbing it the “uh-oh” years and say the best thing about them is that they are finally over. “Uh-oh” does make sense, as commentators opine, because it is the word one utters when the wheels come off your bike or things spin out of control… More.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took flak this month for plugging California’s climate policies in Copenhagen. His suggestion that environmental and economic well-being go hand in hand has drawn scorn from critics who see environmental regulation helping to drive the Golden State to its financial knees… More.

Contrary to the claims in Rep. Dan Logue’s Dec. 6 op-ed (“Common sense: suspend AB32”), most economic analyses show that the benefits of implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) far outweigh the costs. The report he cited looked exclusively at costs, not at benefits, such as energy savings for businesses and households… More.

In the recession of the early 1980s, when hundreds of Rust Belt factories were closing down and laying off workers, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and a handful of others launched a computer revolution that is still changing the world. During the post-Cold War recession of the early 1990s, when defense plants throughout Southern California were going belly up, pioneers like Qualcomm’s Irwin Jacobs privatized military-funded technologies and launched a new age in communications. Now, as we move toward the end of the Great Recession of the ’00s, there are growing signs that the environmental movement could be growing into an equally impressive driver for the economy… More.

Recently a State Assemblyman proposed suspending AB 32 until California’s unemployment rate reaches 5.5%. Putting aside for the moment that AB 32 is not yet in effect and therefore not responsible for our current unemployment and that there’s no support for the view that an AB 32 implemented intelligently would constrain job growth (indeed, there’s evidence that many of AB 32’s efficiency measures in particular would likely boost rather than retard profits and jobs), let’s first ask a fundamental question: Why has California’s unemployment rate exceeded the national unemployment rate since 1991?… More.

A new report suggests that AB 32, the law signed in 2006 to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions, will have a minimal economic effect on the state’s small businesses. Even when regulations connected to the law are developed and enforced, the effect on small businesses will still be more manageable than historic fluctuations in prices, according to a study to be released by the Union of Concerned Scientists… More.

Jobs in California’s so-called green economy increased by 36% from 1995 to 2008, beating the state’s 13% job growth, a study out Wednesday says. The research, by Silicon Valley-based research firm Collaborative Economics, underscores California’s lead in the “green economy” and may indicate where other states can expect green-job growth… More.

November 2009

Two years ago, I wanted to know whether deep cuts were affordable. Since then, my small company, Bowman Design Group, has slashed its carbon footprint by 65 percent with a few simple steps. We did nothing extraordinary: We traded our SUV for a hybrid and installed compact fluorescent bulbs. We started turning off power strips at night. We replaced several office machines with a more efficient multifunction machine… More.

Although the recession has emptied shopping malls and filled jobless centers, the call has only gotten louder for renewable energy, environmentally gentle products and eco-friendly practices — and for people to make all of that happen… More.

A pair of big California companies made national headlines last month when they pulled out of the US Chamber of Commerce over that business group’s stand on global warming. The departure of Apple Computer and Pacific Gas & Electric has proved to be a public relations black eye for the venerable organization… More.

October 2009

Since AB 32 passed, California’s unemployment has more than doubled. Those who opposed the bill to begin with have tried to capitalize on its uncertain economic impact to stall implementation. This spring, Assemblyman Roger Niello, R‚ Fair Oaks, co-wrote a bill sponsored by the California Black Chamber of Commerce that would have suspended AB 32 until the unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent… More.

Dorothy Rothrock (Capitol Weekly, Oct. 1) claims that she can’t find how the California Air Resources Board spent $47 million dollars to pay for administration of AB 32 from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Rothrock and her trade association attack ARB’s credibility as a way to deflect the legislative requirement that they pay their fair share of the cost of implementing AB32. She could have saved thousands in legal fees by reading the documents posted on ARB’s website explaining exactly where and how the money was spent… More.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce touts itself as the world’s largest business federation, boasting 3 million members. Er, make that 2,999,996. And falling. The chamber has been beset by embarrassing headlines recently, as large companies that oppose the organization’s hostility toward climate-change legislation head for the exits… More.

California has faced environmental challenges in the past and has turned them into economic opportunity. In so doing, it has led the nation. Thirty years ago, air pollution was so severe that in the Inland Empire and other locations, the health of residents was at risk. Our state’s response yielded cleaner air and a bustling economic landscape. During this time, the state has been moving to cleaner, more efficient sources of energy. And far from deterring economic growth, this process has been a critical driver of it… More.

The assumption that a sound economic foundation and a strong environmental policy are somehow at odds with each other is now being understood by a growing number of businesses for what it really is: an urban legend that belongs back in the 20th century. Many American businesses – big and small – have begun to make the case for the economic opportunities posed by a comprehensive federal climate policy… More.

Silicon Valley’s future, and the nation’s, is clean technology. The news last week that venture investments in clean tech rose 10 percent from the previous quarter, and that the U.S. government has invested $60 billion in the sector, make that clear. But the U.S. National Chamber of Commerce, which purports to be the voice of the nation’s businesses, has turned into a dinosaur when it comes to clean energy… More.

September 2009

In 1973, the president of Ford testified against pollution-reducing catalytic converters on cars on the grounds that such a requirement risked “a complete shutdown of the US auto industry.” Of course, no such shutdown occurred and pollution was greatly reduced. But 35 years later, Meg Whitman, a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, is raising similar fears about California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006 (AB32)… More.

Could following the next steps toward California’s new clean-energy economy really lead to burdensome regulations and increased job loss? Or, instead, will the implementation of AB 32, the groundbreaking road map to that future, more likely lead to further innovation and leadership?… More.

August 2009

This week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took another step backward in history with its demand for a “Scopes-like” monkey trial on scientific evidence for climate change. We all know that climate change is real and its impacts are being felt now… More.

July 2009

It is interesting, as a small businessman, to watch large industry weigh in on my behalf. Over the past several months, claiming to act in the best interests of small business, big business has actively lobbied to delay action on climate change. Implementing California’s Clean Energy and Climate Security Plan, they exclaim, will hit small businesses hardest… More.